Cricket: Bhajji & Co punch, jab Mumbai

Teams which have chased consistently well in the tournament have earned the right to fight for the All-India Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Baroda and Punjab will lock horns at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday after posting comfortable wins in Monday’s semifinals at the MCA’s Bandra-Kurla Complex facility.

Mumbai’s title drought at the national level continued for the second straight season as they lost tamely to Punjab by five wickets in a low-scoring match. On the contrary, Baroda made a mockery of Delhi’s competitive 169 for nine to register a seven-wicket win.

Baroda, in pursuit of 170, did not even need Yusuf Pathan’s (back for the semifinal after missing the quarters) big-hitting abilities to see them through. Little-known Aditya Waghmode and Kedar Devdhar attacked from the start to have the match in Baroda’s hands midway into the run chase. Their second-wicket stand helped Baroda race to 113 for one by the 10th over.

Devdhar, the stocky 22-year-old, sent the white ball soaring high and long repeatedly, so much so that Delhi were reduced to retrieving it from the other side of the fence that encircled the ground. Devdhar needed only 40 deliveries to reach 96 with 11 fours and six sixes, most of these big hits coming on the on-side as the Delhi bowlers fed him according to his strength. Unmindful of his score, Devdhar went with the flow of strokes. When he was just one strike away from the three-figure mark, he was caught in the deep. Waghmode also had his fair share of boundaries.

A little earlier, Delhi’s Shikhar Dhawan and Bhatia hit sixes at will to take Delhi to a position of strength after being asked to bat. But, as is the nature of T20, you can never be safe with whatever you post. And Delhi learnt their lesson the hard way.

The already-upbeat Baroda will be further boosted by the arrival of Irfan Pathan, who told DNA that he will surely play in Tuesday’s final. “That is why I am here,” Pathan said as he was preparing for a net session with a handful of his Baroda mates while Punjab were cruising along in the second semifinal against Mumbai.

Mumbai lost wickets repeatedly to post only 122 for nine. Ajinkya Rahane, after beginning well, was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma while stretching forward for 21 soon after Abhishek Nayar was run out. Rohit Sharma fell to a sharp catch by Amitoze Singh in the deep while Suryakumar Yadav was another run-out victim.

One cannot think of a win while defending just 122 unless the bowlers give early breakthroughs. Mumbai bowlers could do precious little, Sarul Kanwar, Chandan Madan (55; 44 balls, 9x4) and Mandeep Singh (22) making good use of the helpful batting conditions. It might seem that Mumbai ran Punjab close as the latter won with just one over in hand, but Harbhajan Singh’s boys were never in trouble at all.

Needless to say, the team that bats second should emerge victorious in Tuesday’s title tilt.

Brief scores (semifinals): Delhi 169/9 in 20 overs (S Dhawan 62,
R Bhatia 27; M Vahora 2/24,
Y Pathan 2/30, B Bhatt 3/50) lost to Baroda 173/3 in 17.1 overs
(A Waghmode 60, K Devdhar 96;
P Negi 2/39) by seven wickets

Mumbai 122/9 in 20 overs (M Gony 3/32, R Sharma 2/15) lost to Punjab 124/5 in 19 overs (C Madan 55;
I Abdulla 3/20) by five wickets
Final: Punjab vs Baroda, 10 am